Manifolding attachment for typewriters



M. L, COSSIH, MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FUR TWiEuMTEfiS.

ANUCATIOH mm m; @1920.

1,408,345, Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

WITNESS N [NVENTOR l I 310M496, fvqdi BY WEQ M? fl 4 [L A TTOR NE VS UNITED STATES PA'EENT OFFICE.

HAIJGGLI L. COSSITT, 0F ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO MOLD IHPBESIONS CORPORATION, OF CARSON CITY NEVADA, A CORPORATION 01 NEVADA HAITIFOL I JING ATTACHMENT FOR Specification of LettersPatent. t t 22,

Application filed February 2,1920. Serial No. 856,825.

To all whom it may concern: I

'Be it known that I, MAwoLM L. Coesrrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alameda, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Manifolding Attachments for Tvpewriters, of which the following is a specification. (.My invention relates to manifoldmg attachments to typewriting machines and other ty )e im ression machines.

he 0 ject of my invention is to provide 3.

simple, cheap and effective attachment for manifolding, which can be 'i eadily applied to various machines with practically no chan e or alteration in the machine, and by tiie use of which the ordinary carbon sheets are Wholly discarded, while still permitting the duplication to be effected upon loose sheets of paper.

To this end my invention consists in the novel manifolding attachment which I shall hereinafter fully describe, by reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a typewriti ig machine (the cluster of type-bars billlg omitted) showing the application of my attachment, with the manifolding or impression ribbon down to its functional position, as it would lie between two sheets of paper, if said sheets were in the machine.

Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of the frame of the machine, showing the application of the end bracket of my attachment.

Fig. 3 is [1 sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. showing the connection to effect the distorted path of travel of the manifolding ribbon in descending to its functional position.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the meniiolding ribbon. showing its detachable connection with the carrying arms.

1 in Fig. 1 indicates generally such portion of a typewriter as will be sufiicient to understand the application thereto of my attachment. 1' are the keys, 2 is the platen, 2' is the spacing ratchet. 3 the ribbon of the machine, 3' are the ribbon drums, and 3" is the spacing lever, 21 is the paper guideapron and 22 is the scale bar.

My manifolding attachment comprises essentially two arms 4 connected at one end by a rod 5, and having extending between to an elevated position above the platen, as

' shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, and may be turned down again to carry the ribbon to the type-impact receiving face of the platen and in relatively close proximity thereto, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

According to the particular construction of any given typewriter, the specific mounting of the attachment will vary to suit the case. In the resent illustration 1 have shown the arm connecting rod 13 as carrying terminal brackets 7, Figs. 1 and in which the rod is 'ournaled, adapting it to turn on its axis. he bases 8 of these brackets are screwed down by the screws 8" to the frame of the platen-carriage and serve as top bear ings for the shaft of the platen, Fig.

.of the platen.

The arms 4 are curved on an arc approximately concentric with the platen axis, so that, when down, they conform more or less to the curvature of the platen. The arms 4 also are longenough to carry their manifolding ribbon down to the face of the platen, to lie in the line of the type impact. and relatively close to the platen surface. This arrangement is necessarily provided for b such calculation as may be required by di ferent machines. But in most cases, it will be found that the convenient location of the rod 5 with respect to the platen axis is such that means must be provided to produce an eccentric or distorted path of the manifolding ribbon 6 to draw it in towards the platen when it is being turned down to its functional position, in order that it may clear the usual index ointer of the machine and get in behind said pointer, and then more outward again in its final position to clear the platen surface.

In practice this fitting of the attachment to the machine is readily effected by simply removing th plittcnshatt top bcarings belongmachine. I ha In the present instance this is the case, and I therefore fit the ends of therod ,5, adjustably in the brackets7, as by the sliding bearing blocks 9, Fig. 2, in said brackets, controlled by springs 10. Upon the rod 5 just inside the brackets are securedcams 11, which impinge on rollers 12 fined in the brackets. The effect of this mountingi'sas follows: The rod 5 being above the horizontal plane of the follow that, in the absence of provision ,tothe contrary, the path of the ribbonfi in moving down would carry it outside I of the index pointer 13 of the machine Fig, 1. But in the present constructionas the arms 4 and ribbon 6 begin to descend the cams 11 acting on the rollers 12 force the rod 5 bodily backward, thus changing its position relatively to the platen, and thereby drawing inwardly toward the laten the path at the desccndin ribbon. This continues until the apex of the index-pointer 13 is reached at which time the ribbon 6 is Well Withinsaid pointer, that is on the platen side/0f it. The ribbon time passes in behind the pointer and between it and the platen, as in Fig. 1 and thereupon the cut-out portion shown at 11 of the cams, Fig. 3. enacting with the rollers 12, allows the spri'ng'sltl to force the rod 5 hack to its initial position; So that as the ribbon arrives at itFi' lowest point which is its functional positionit is removed s11llh-i .*ntl from. the platen Stir" face to present no interh-rcnro to the proper rolling of the paper behind it, as Will prescntly appear in connection with the descrip- .tion of the general operation of the attacln 'ment. In this lowest or functional position of the ribbon (i it is held firmly from further arcuatc movement by the points ll" of the cams resting on the rollers 12. The arms 4 ate provided with finger holds 4 for convcnience in throwing the attachment up and down In view of the fact that the brackets 7 take the place of the ordinary top bearing plates of the platen shaft, one of which said plates carries the lock arm of the invariable linc spacer. l provide the ase 8 of one of my brackets with a spring lock arm 15, Fig. i

l which courts with the usual groove 16 of the platen shaft to outrol the line spacing in the usual manner.

In the endeavor to simplify my invention by providing at attacluncut for the purpose which requires little or no changes in the machine, to apply it. and which is in itself a devic wholly apart and separate from the pruridcd that my manifoldin ribbon shall be a short single-length section of approximately the length of the platen and detarhahly secured to and stretchuu: under tension between the arms. ll lulc ll. i;

true su h a section is subject to m e rar l Wear than a ribbon relatively of; my attachment is platen axis, it would 1,408,3fl5 L long and traveling between reels, it has controllipg compensations,in that it avoids comaVDlQlS such flll intimate connection 'Withfth'e machine tQ d-HVO IVB radical changes in its application; ischea-p, and can numbers to be used as required. Consequently an essential. feature amani-folding ribbon comprising a single-length section approximately 'the 'lerigth of/ the platen and carried by and between arms adapted to be turned to carry the ribbon into position to be placed between the sheets and into functional inanifolding positi0n. Forth rmore, it-is essential that said ribbon section shall have means for readilyat- 'tachingri't to and detaching iii-from the carrying arms; and that these means he ada ted fOlfllfBYBISfl-l of the ribbon edge for e ge to prolong its lifeand finally, that means he provided to hold the ribbon under tension. The ribbon fastening means may be of variedconstruction. A simple form is shown in Fig. 5, consisting of 5. clamp memthe ends of the ribbon, said a centrally disposed stud member having 8 ot 18 in the ends of the 17 which fits m arms 4, 1

Various means for maintaining tension on the ribbon may be employed. A simple way isto make the arms slightly resilient laterally andproperly proportion the length of the ribbon. Then by pressing the arms towards cachlother the ribbon may be connected with them and then held under tension when the arms are released.

The ribbon 6 may be as shown i Fig. 5 one having, an impression or ink surface (5' on one .side" only the other surface 6" being a non-impression one, or if thought best, in order to make one ribbon produce two -..rbons, one of which is a tissue paper sheet to be read by transmitted light, the ribbon may have hothsides inked.

'19 is a second rod extending between the -a'l'ms 4, and carrying the usual form of paper presser rolls 20. Figs. 1. 3 and 4, adjustahly and slidably mounted. as indicated in Fig. 1.

The use of my attachment is as follows:

Tn'o loose sheets of paper are placed to gether in the machine, and rolled around the platen until their-entered edges rise well above the index pointer ll on the face of the platen. Then these edges are separated by the operator with one hand while with the other he drops the arms 4. down so that the manifoldinp ribbon G enters be tween said sheets. In moving to position the ribbon travels the eccentric or distorted path erciofoie explained. by which it avoids the index pointer B which is press ing against the outer sheet, and then comes to rest clear ot the platen surface In this clear position, no interference is presented 

